Tag: 2014

We begin the show with a cold open promo from Sami Zayn. He says that even if he’s lost a few big ones in the past he is certain he can succeed this time. He goes on to say that he’s on a road to redemption that ends when he beats Adrian Neville to become NXT Champion.

Titus O’Neil shows up and tells Sami that his road to redemption has to go through him first. Zayn asks if that’s a challenge to which Titus responds that it’s an open invitation. Zayn accepts, saying that if there’s a roadblock on his road to redemption he’ll go through it.

Time for some more NXT. This was a review I’d done for an old blog I had. I’ve cleaned it up and added the proper Atomic Drop formatting we’ve all come to know and love, so let’s take it away.

We start things off with the standard issue NXT opening theme song before heading to Full Sail University for our opening contest. Rich Brennan, Alex Riley, and Albert/Tensai/Giant Bernard are on commentary.

Before she became the longest reigning champion in NXT history and beat Goldberg’s streak, Asuka wrestled as Kana in Japan. On occasion she would play booker and book her own shows. This match is from one such card.

While other bookers/wrestlers would perhaps be more inclined to book themselves as worldbeaters, Kana here books herself to get roughed up by a 60 something year old Yoshiaki Fujiwara and on occasion, slapped around by her own partner, Minoru Suzuki in this mixed tag team match from 2014.

Things kick off this week with a video package summarizing what went down last week with Chavo and Sexy Star as well as the ladder match between Johnny Mundo, Price Puma and Big Ryck. We get some credits and then it’s to the Temple for Lucha action!

This might be the greatest concept for an indie wrestling promotion today. Purists will probably be all like, “Ew this is not wrestling!” but fuck those guys.

There’s room for this and there’s room for Five Star Mat Classics® and there’s room for CZW guys hitting each other with shit and there’s room for Lucha Underground soap operas. It’s all wrestling and it’s all fun.

We begin things backstage where Ezekiel “Big Ryck” Jackson is signing a contract with Dario Cueto. Dario tells him, “When I invited Johnny Mundo to Lucha Underground, I wanted to use him as an example that no matter the talent, the reputation, the flash, no one is safe. Put everyone on notice because violence is my favorite kind of entertainment.“ Champagne gets busted out and Big Ryck lights up a cigar.

Lucha Underground begins with Konnan, entering Dario Cueto’s office. The one time Wolfpac member tells Cueto that he stopped Prince Puma from coming into Cueto’s office and wrecking house on him after Cisco and Castro attacked Puma last week.

Dario offers Konnan a drink, but Konnan turns him down. Cueto tells him that Castro and Cisco for Big Ryck, not him and that he’s got no beef with Puma. Konnan then says that he wants a match…Puma vs. Big Ryck in a Boyle Heights Street Fight and asks Dario if he knows what a Boyle Height Street Fight is. Before Dario can reply, “I’m assuming it’s like a South Philly Street Fight or a Chicago Street Fight or any of the myriad of other geographically based street fights that exist in pro-wrestling,” Konnan tells him that it’s a fight, not a wrestling match and that anything goes.

Dario Cueto is amenable to this and agrees to the match and then goes to take a sip from his booze, but Konnan snatches the glass out of his hands and is like, “You know what? I think I will take that drink after all,” and then chugs it and leaves the office. Dario has a look of disgust on his face and dumps the ice and liquor dregs from the glass into a trashcan.

It’s time for lucha madness with Lucha Underground! The Lucha Underground Band makes a return after an absence of several weeks to hype the crowd up as Striker and Vampiro welcome us to Lucha Underground. The action gets underway right away with…